Temperature controlled motor driven roller



Sept. 1, 1931. w. MCKEE 1,820,985

TEMPERATURE CONTROLLED MOTOR DRIVEN ROLLER Filed July 1, 1927 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR M WWW TTORNEYS Sept. 1, 1931. w. M KEE 1,820,985

' TEMPERATURE CONTROLLED MOTOR DRIVEN ROLLER Filed July 1, 1927 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 III III/III l VENTOR @i hwfiyuw A TORNEYS Patented Sept. 1, 1931 UNETED STATES PATENT OFFICE WILLIS MCK-EE, OF CLEVELAND, OHIO, ASSIGNOR TO THE CENTRAL UNITED NATIONAL BANK, A CORPORATION OF THE UNITED STATES TEMPERATURE CONTROLLED MOTOR DRIVEN ROLLER Application filed July 1, 1927.

This invention relates to conveyor rollers of the type driven by individual motors and is particularly concerned with such rollers having enclosed motors and provided with means for cooling the same.

Conveyors for use in steel mills and other places where the surrounding temperature is relatively high or where highly heated articles are being conveyed are often subjected 1a to temperature conditions where the surrounding atmosphere is more highlv heated than the bearings of the conveyor rollers should be called upon to withstand. This condition is, of course, aggravated when the motors of such rollers are more or less totally enclosed. For certain working conditions it is essential that the motor be more or less enclosed to prevent iniurv thereto by dirt, water and the like. Mv invention 90 accordingly is directed to the construction of the individual motor driven roller in which means is provided for maintaining the temperature of the motor below a predetermined p'oint and providing the motor 175 with its own atmosphere.

In the drawings accompanying this spccification and forming a part thereof,

Fig. 1 is a vertical sectional View through one form of motor roller embodying my invention; and

Fig. 2 is a vertical view, partly in section, of another embodiment of my invention.

Referring now to Fig. 1 of the drawings, 1 indicates a non-rotatable shaft suitably 3 supported as at 2 and 3 at either end and carrying intern'iediate its ends the stator 4 of a motor. The rotor 5 of the motor is disposed radially outward of the stator 4 and is carried by a shell 6 which, to ether with endplate 7, constitute a housing for the motor which is rotatably sup orted by means of antifriction devices 8 to rotate on the shaft 1. A second shell 9 is disoosed in telescoped position over the shell. 6 and is secured thereto in any convenient manner, for example, by means of cap-screws 10. Preferably this shell 9 is closed at one end ll for a purpose present to appear, and at its other end is supported by legs 6a on shell 6.

Serial No. 202,830.

The shaft 1 is hollow for a part of or all its length. 'lhrough opening 12 leading tliereinto the electrical lead lines 17) for the winding portion in of stator l are carried and emerged through opening 13 to the stator. Through another ooening 14 cooling air or other suitable fluid is lead from any suitable source into the interior of the shaft 1 and then through a passage 15 into the space within the housing 6 occupied by the rotor and stator parts. The cooling fiuid then passes through a plurality of openings 16 in the end plate 7 into the space enclosed by the end wall 11 of member 9 and then through spaced openings 17 be-' tween the cap screws 10 into the space 18 between the casing (i and the shell 9 from which it escapes at the end of the member 6 into the atmosphere. This flow of fluid prevents entrance of harmful substances into the motor while water or other liquid is kept out or discharged during rotation of the roller by centrifugal force.

It will be understood that I have provided means for passing a cooling fluid through the motor even though the latter is enclosed. thereby proi-iding the motor with its own atmosphere and by suitably regulating the tem erature and speed of flow of the entering fluid I can control the temperature of the motor within reasonable limits. The entering fluid serves to cool the motor narts while the escaping fluid serves both to cool the member 9 which is in contact with the highly heated articles being conveyed and the exterior of easing 6, in this way doubly cooling the roller.

In Fig. 2, I have illustrated a modified form of apparatus embodying my invention in which a shaft 21 hollow for a part of or all its length is provided near one end with an opening 22 through which electrical connections may be lead into the interior thereof and thence through opening 23 to the windings 21/1 of stator 2-icarried by the shaft 21 intermediate its end. The opening 23 may be sealed after wires are positioned. The shaft 21 is also provided with a cooling fluid connection 25through which fluid may be brought into the interior of the shaft 21, 100

and passes lengthwise of the shaft 21 and escapes throug an opening 26 beyond the housing which includes the shell 27 carrying on its inner surface the motor rotor 28 disposed'radially outward of the stator 24 and the bearings 29 with the adjacent positioning members 30. The coolin fluid escaping through opening 26 is de ected by baffle plate 31 carried by the shaft 21 adjacent to the opening 26 and is directed into the space between the housing 27 and the cylindrical shell 32 disposed in telescoping relation over the shell 27 and s aced radially V outward therefrom to provi e a space 33 1 which contacts with highly heated articles a what I desire to secure by Letters Patent is ture.

between .the two parts. The cooling fluid directed into the space 33 passes to the opposite end ofthe casing 27 where it encounters baflle 34 similar to baflle 31 except that it is provided with one or more fluid outlet holes 35 through which the fluid flowing in space 33 may escape to the atmosphere.

- It will be understood that by means of this apparatus a coolin fluid may be passed lengthwise of the s aft 21 past the motor stator serving thereby to cool the interior of the shaft and decrease the temperature of the motor parts and in passing through the passage 33 to cool the outer side of the motor parts as well as to dissipate heat accumulated by the article conveying shell 32 being conveyed. In this form of device the motor is also enclosed against the entrance of water, scale or other harmful materials as in the apparatus of Fig. 1 and furthermore,'the tern rature of the motor parts in either form 0 device shown can be readily controlled by fluid of any suitable tempera- Having thus described my invention so that others may be able to practice the same tor having a non-rotating shaft provided with a cooling gas passage therein, means for housin the said motor,.an article conveying she surrounding but s aced a art from the said motor to provi e a coo ing gas passage. therebetween, and means for passin cooling gas through the said shaft and sad space. I

3. A motor driven roller comprising a housed motor, a non-rotating shaft thereclosin for, an article conveying shell surrounding said housed motor and spaced apart therefrom and means for controlling the temperature of said roller including a fluid passage in said shaft and means for directing fluid through the motor housing and the space between said shell and the motor housing.

4. A motor driven roller comprising a substantially enclosed motor, a non-rotating hollow shaft therefor, an article conveying member surrounding and spaced radially apart from said motor, and means for controlling the temperature of said roller including a passage communicating with the interior of the shaft and the space between the said roller and shell.

5. A motor driven roller comprising a stator mounted on a non-rotating hollow shaft, a rotor, means for substantially ensaid stator and rotor attached to and rotata le with said rotor, an article conveying shell attached to said enclosing means in radially spaced apart relation thereto and means for causing temperature regulating fluid to pass through the hollow shaft, the motor enclosure and the space between the shell and motor enclosure.

6. A motor driven roller comprisin a non-rotating shaft having a cooling i'filld passage therein and carrying motor stator windings, a motor rotor, means for substantially enclosing said stator and rotor, an article conveying shell disposed outwardly about said enclosin means to provide a cooling fluid space t erebetween and means for passing a cooling fluid through the passage in the shaft, over said stator windings and through said cooling fluid space between said shell and motor enclosure.

In testimony whereof I hereunto afiix my signature this 10th da of June, 1927.

ILLIS MoKEE. 

